Everything Has Changed
by kicksenselessmydefenses
Summary: When Freddie's mother gets a job offer in Los Angeles, he's suddenly ripped away from everything he's ever known. Can he find his place in a new city, or will homesickness prove too much for him? Crossover between iCarly and Victorious; response to a challenge from Challenge King. Please R&R! ON HIATUS


"That's it for today, class. Have a good weekend, and I'll see you all on Monday," Miss Briggs turns away from the whiteboard, flashing us a rare smile as the bell rings and we all start to pack up our books. I guess she's just as ready for the weekend as we are. I shoulder my backpack and stride out of the classroom and down the hall, pushing open one of the double doors and stepping into the late April sunlight, blinking as my eyes adjust to it. It's a beautiful day, really, which hardly ever happens in the rainy city of Seattle. I take a deep breath of air scented with bus exhaust and the faint smell of leaves, letting it stir in my chest before I finally exhale. I smile, running a hand through my hair as I walk to the car. The weather's not the only thing that's got me in good spirits today. This morning, I got a perfect score on my math test (not exactly a surprise, to be honest, but appreciated nonetheless), the cafeteria had my favorite kind of pizza for lunch, and Carly and Sam and I have a great episode of iCarly planned for tonight. Plus, my mom told me she had a surprise for me when I got home.

I toss my backpack in the back seat of the car and start the engine, making sure to buckle up and check my blind spot before I start to carefully back out of my parking space. As I drive home, I turn on the radio, and when I do so, my favorite song blares out of the speakers. I feel a wide grin take over my face as I turn up the music and drum along to the beat on the steering wheel. This day is perfect. There's nothing in the world that could bring me down today.

I get to the Bushwell Plaza, ignoring Lewbert's screams as I make my way inside the elevator and press the button to go up to my floor, making a mental list of the equipment I'll need to set up for the show tonight. The elevator dings my arrival, snapping me from my thoughts, and I stroll down the hallway to my apartment and fit my key into the lock.

When I open the door, my mom is standing there, an enormous grin on her face. It's clear she's been waiting for me, and I drop my keys on the little side table just inside the apartment and smile back at her.

"Hey, Mom."

"Freddiekins! I'm so glad you're home! I-"

"Have a surprise for me, I know," I chuckle, shoving my hands in my pockets. "So, where is it?"

"It's in my room. I'll go and get it." She whisks down the hallway and I step further into the apartment, dropping my bag by the couch and grabbing an apple from the kitchen.

My mom comes bustling back into the living room with an envelope. "Here it is!" she trills.

I take the envelope from her and rip it open excitedly. Inside I find two plane tickets from Seattle to Los Angeles, scheduled to depart the first week of August.

"We're- we're going to Los Angeles?" I ask, puzzled. "I mean- don't get me wrong, that's really cool, but it's so close to school starting and-" I look back down at the tickets, taking a moment to really read them. "Mom, these tickets are one-way. There must be a mistake."

My mother is still grinning up at me. Her smile doesn't falter for a second, but it does leave her eyes. Oh no. "Freddiebear, we're moving to California! I got an amazing job offer at Cedars-Sinai, and, well, I just couldn't refuse!"

I feel my mouth fall open. My arms drop by my sides, the tickets fluttering out of my hands, the apple hitting the floor with a hollow _clunk_.

"Mom-" I tug at my collar. I feel like I'm choking. "I- _no-"_

"I know this is probably a shock to you," she begins, grabbing my arm and trying to drag me over to the couch. I don't move; it's like my feet have been superglued to the floor. After several seconds of fruitless yanking, she gives up and drops my arm. "But I think this could be really good for us, don't you? Cedars-Sinai is one of the best hospitals in the country; I feel like I could really make a difference there. And it's right by Hollywood, isn't that exciting? I've already started looking into schools for you- there are a few I think sound very nice, but of course it's your decision. This is going to be just wonderful for us, Freddie; a change of pace like this is just what we need-"

Moving? To _Hollywood?_

I hold my hand up and cut her off. "I'm not going," I whisper, forcing myself to breathe.

"What's that, dear? I didn't hear you. You were mumbling."

I sigh, running a hand through my hair, pulling on it slightly to try and get myself together. "I said, I'm not going. I have school- and iCarly- and the Training Bros- I have commitments. People _need_ me, Mom, I can't just leave all of this and go jetting off to California."

She looks down at me, clearly trying to mask her disappointment. I feel a prickle of guilt wash over me, but I quickly shake it off- how am I supposed to be _excited_ about leaving everyone and everything I've ever known?

"You can finish out the school year here, Freddie, and we'll take the summer to get everything in order," she says slowly, picking at a loose string on the hem of her blouse. "But I've made my decision. We are moving to California."

I shake my head, backing away from her, leaving the tickets and apple strewn on the carpet.

"I just- I need some time to think. I'll be back later," I say, grabbing my keys off the table and turning to open the door.

"Where are you going?" she asks. I can hear worry start to tinge her voice. I sigh, feeling my shoulders start to sag in defeat.

"Carly's," I reply, and with that, I step out of the apartment and close the door behind me with a click.

Carly's apartment is just across from mine, but I'm not quite ready to go there yet, so I take about ten steps down the hall so my mom can't spy on me from the peephole before I sink to the floor and lean up against the wall, resting my elbows on my knees.

My mom has done her fair share of crazy things to me- tick baths, decontaminations, and chemical showers are just a few of the things that come to mind- but I handled all of those things. I took them in stride, figuring that she was probably just overprotective and that she was just doing what she thought was best- she is a single parent, after all. I know that things haven't always been easy, and so I usually just tried to go along with whatever insane thing she got into her head to do. But this time, things are different- she's planning to uproot my entire life, and even though I'd love to resist for the first time ever, I know it's pointless. Her mind is made up.

I can feel the sun streaming through the window on the landing and warming my back. I can hear the birds chirping outside in the beautiful weather and we have iCarly tonight and I got an A on a test this morning and had pizza for lunch and heard my favorite song on the way home and today was supposed to be the best day ever and it isn't fair.

It just isn't _fair_.

* * *

**Author's Note**

This story is my response to a challenge I received from the user Challenge King. I've never gotten a challenge before, and it seemed too interesting to pass up. It'll be a multichap, and the rating might change later. We'll see.

This is going to be a crossover between iCarly and Victorious. I've never done a crossover before, so I'm pretty excited about trying my hand at it.

Reviews are like the magic elixir that makes this author want to get her write on. So please find it in your heart to send me some magic.


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